


A Home for the Holiday

by pretzelduck



Category: All Elite Wrestling, Professional Wrestling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Christmas, Established Relationship, Fluff, I Needed Christmas Fluff, M/M, Romance, So I wrote this instead of sleeping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:46:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28283427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pretzelduck/pseuds/pretzelduck
Summary: It's hard to get someone a gift when you haven't been dating that long (in the grand scheme of things) and you're not even sure if they like Christmas in the first place.  But Cody eventually figures out exactly what he wants to give Darby.  Things go a bit sideways Christmas morning but it all works out better than he could have hoped for.
Relationships: Darby Allin/Cody Rhodes
Comments: 15
Kudos: 36





	A Home for the Holiday

**Author's Note:**

> Could this be the future of the Cody and Darby from [That Smile of Yours](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27719777)? Possibly. But I wanted to write Christmas fluffiness and they are very much on my mind. So I indulged. Enjoy!

The closer they got to Christmas, the more nervous Cody had gotten. 

It should be a joyful time of year - and he even had someone to share it with - but instead, he was just a bundle of anxiety. Would it help if he had had any idea what to get Darby for Christmas? Probably but still possibly not. He had no clue why his boyfriend was so difficult to shop for but he was. They hadn't been together _that_ long but that wasn't the problem. Everything he had come up with was something that he would just buy Darby - no special occasion necessary - and that wasn't the sort of gift he had wanted to give his newly minted significant other on Christmas of all holidays.

That wasn't the major problem, though.

All of those things that he wanted to give Darby seemed to imply the two of them living together - and _that_ was the major problem. Darby was a part of his life - one of his favorite parts - but not quite like what Cody wanted him to be. He spent the night and was still there in the morning but he brought a bag with him each time. Cody had cleared out a drawer in the dresser and made space in his closet but they were still empty spaces. Nothing about his home said that Darby was anything more than an occasional houseguest and even that took noticing the tiniest of details. It was only Cody's coffee cup on the drying rack in the kitchen and only his shoes next to the front door. 

And Christmas was making it worse.

They hadn't really discussed the holiday directly. It didn't seem like Darby actively hated it but more like he didn't really care about it. So that was something Cody had tried to respect. He'd put up his Christmas tree alone and decorated it by himself. Darby had complimented him on it but that had been it. There were gold and silver balls hanging from its branches but no little skulls or miniature skateboards. Stockings were up for himself and Pharaoh but there wasn't one for Darby. Cody had been ridiculously tempted to buy even a generic, unlabeled one and add it to the display just to see Darby's reaction. But the risk of things going south - of Darby walking away and going radio silent - had stayed his hand.

There was just something about the fact that it was Christmas. There was probably nothing wrong with the slow and steady progression of their relationship. Cody simply wanted everything right now - and he wanted it with Darby. He wanted Darby there every single morning instead of only some of them. He wanted to arrive at Daily's Place together instead of separately. He wanted Darby to just walk in the front door instead of ringing the doorbell and waiting to be allowed in.

And that had been the inspiration for the gift Darby was currently holding in his hands.

He had asked Darby to spend some of Christmas morning with him - knowing that the larger get-together with Dustin and other friends and relatives that night was too much. Especially since no one knew that they were dating. He wouldn't be surprised if it turned out that they had been speculated or gossiped about but as far as anything acknowledged was concerned, they were former rivals, current allies, and possible friends. He wanted more than that, of course, but taking things slowly was often the best idea with the occasionally skittish Darby.

However, Cody honestly didn't have too many complaints about any morning that started with Darby curled up against his side, their legs tangled together and their hands holding onto one another. Starting every morning like that would be better but it was Christmas. He was determined to just enjoy the holiday with Darby - as much of it as they would be spending together.

Which right now might be in jeopardy because Darby was staring at the small box like it was a bomb that he needed to defuse.

"You got me a gift."

That tone was certainly not promising. Darby sounded confused at best. There were things that were difficult with Darby. Conversations that he shied away from and topics that he didn't like to discuss. And all of a sudden, Cody was terrified that he had accidentally stumbled onto one of those. He hadn't thought giving Darby a Christmas present could be one; he actually hadn't been anxious about that part.

"I wanted to." Thankfully, they were sitting side-by-side so it was easy to scoot just a little closer so he could put his arm around Darby. "It's just a present." 

Those blue eyes met his and there was so much guarded wariness in them that it made Cody's heart hurt. Definitely one of those things, then. Opening that gift was a bad idea. If the concept of a present was giving Darby this much trouble, then what was inside of it was going to lock all that armor of his into place. 

With his free hand, Cody carefully pulled the box out of Darby's hands and put it on the coffee table. But even that didn't seem to change the expression on his face. Resting his hand against Darby's cheek, Cody brought their foreheads together and stayed close. He wished Darby had said something. He wished he had asked more questions. 

"Cody…"

Darby's hand came up to cover his and no matter how many times it happened, it still took Cody by surprise. The way Darby would then close his eyes and lean ever-so-slightly into his hand was something that Cody hoped never grew old. It was as if he was drawing strength from his touch and it was strength he was more than willing to share.

"You don't have to tell me what's wrong." He wanted to know - almost desperately - but keeping Darby here in this moment with him was far more important. "You don't have to open it either." He shifted just enough to place a delicate kiss on Darby's other cheek. "Merry Christmas, okay?"

The slightest of nods and Darby pulled away with a look in his eyes that told Cody that more of his armor and shields were up than he would like. It was certainly way closer to Darby with his face paint on than Cody wanted to see on Christmas morning. So he backed away from any sort of further discussion of the holiday. They stayed curled up on the sofa, the marathon of some show that Darby liked about abandoned buildings on the television in the background. He deliberately kept both the conversation light and his arm around Darby. Enjoying what time and contact he could before he made his excuses and left, long before anyone arrived. 

And it was only after Cody had changed his clothes and started to finish getting ready for Christmas dinner that he noticed his gift to Darby was no longer there.

\---

The party was fine. Everything was fine. Cody was glad that he'd had food delivered and catered, even though nothing tasted as good as Darby's cooking. He was a bit biased about that, he was aware. It was difficult to not mope. There was nothing really wrong except Darby's absence and not a single person at the gathering knew he was absent in the first place so Cody had put his executive's smile on and kept going. 

Asking him to stay would have been the wrong thing to do but Cody missed him. It wasn't even that he wanted everyone they both knew to know that they were dating - even though he did - but Cody liked his own life better now that Darby was a part of it. Just being in the same room as Darby made Cody happier. And no amount of tender kisses or long embraces or heartfelt declarations of affection seemed to make Darby understand that fact. Or if he did understand it, then he certainly didn't accept it. Their relationship was newer but Cody knew - felt it in his soul of all things - that they were supposed to be together. He didn't want a life that didn't have Darby in it.

But right now, Darby wasn't here. He was probably at a skatepark or out wandering or doing something that would require a first aid kit.

Or he was standing in the entryway to the living room.

Darby was staring at him - soft and shy and not a bit of armor to be found. _His_ Darby. There had even been an alteration to his usual all-black ensemble. The dark green turtleneck looked out-of-place and incredibly attractive all at the same time. Cody was rooted to the spot he was standing on which was probably bad. He couldn't quite make himself move as if he was afraid that any bit of movement would make Darby disappear. 

But Darby didn't seem to have the same fear because he was slowly walking closer until he was _right there_ and Cody had to ball his hands into fists to keep from touching him. He had no idea why Darby was here - not that he was upset to see him but he was confused.

"I opened your present."

Oh.

The soft smile on Darby's face was comforting and started to soothe his rattled nerves. Even after realizing that Darby had taken it, Cody hadn't exactly expected him to open the box any time soon. Maybe in a few days or a week or a month. But instead, Darby was here and they were being stared at by a dozen people.

"Darbs…"

"I wanted to give you something."

There was a protest on the tip of his tongue. Something reflexive and rote. But Cody felt the gentlest of caresses against the backs of his hands as Darby tried to coax his fists open and the words died instantly. Darby had to realize that they were people here, right? That someone could see? 

"There are people watching."

That smile shifted into something that Cody had only seen a glimpse of once before. It was the smile of an emotion and a feeling that he hadn't dared name but knew exactly what it was. After all, it had been there when he had placed the key to his home into a small box, wrapped it, and handed it on Christmas morning to the man that held his heart. And now it was there between them as Cody's fingers unfurled and their hands easily wrapped around one another - the grip both familiar and new. 

"I know." Darby swallowed nervously but his gaze was steady and sure. Cody's heart was beating so loudly that he was certain it could be heard next door. "Merry Christmas, Cody."

The words were soft but Darby's kiss was even softer. It was tender and sweet and layered with so much affection that Cody's eyes began to water. No one watching could possibly question what they were to one another. When they parted and their eyes met, Cody _knew_ that Darby didn't either and it was the best gift Darby could have possibly given him.

"Merry Christmas, Darby."

And as they stood there smiling at each other and ignoring the scattered cheering - and a wolf whistle or two, it finally truly felt like a joyful day.

The next Christmas, though? 

That was even better. 

Party guests placed their shoes next to a pair of black combat boots and there was an old skateboard deck hanging on the wall of the entryway. There were two coffee mugs on the rack in the kitchen where the baker awkwardly received compliments on the cookies and fudge he had made. Three stockings were hanging from the mantle - the one in black fitting in just fine. The tree looked the same as it had the previous year but decorating it had been an afternoon of laughter and stolen kisses so it was vastly improved anyway. The hosts always seemed to be holding hands and saying 'I love you' but that? 

Well, no one noticed anything different at all.


End file.
